The Red Sox matched their largest scoring output Monday against the Angels, scoring six runs in the seventh for a 9-4 win over Los Angeles.
With Jered Weaver on the mound, the game began slow enough. While the Red Sox did get on the board in the first inning on a pair of singles from Jacoby Ellsbury and Kevin Youkilis, Weaver quickly settled down, allowing only one baserunner over the next three innings.
Meanwhile, Clay Buchholz set about achieving a season first quality start, dodging danger all the way. Maicer Izturis coming off the bag at second trying to stretch a single into a double saved him from a potentially big first inning before a quick two-out rally from the Angels in the third gave them their first run of the night thanks to a questionable call from the second base umpire on, again, Izturis trying to grab an extra base. The Angels would again manage to break through against Clay in the fifth, taking a one-run lead on a Bobby Abreu groundout.
The Sox were quick to pick up their young starter, however. Carl Crawford got things started in the bottom of the inning, ripping a double to left to continue his strong start to May. Jason Varitek then drew a walk, and both batters advanced on a ground out from Jacoby Ellsbury.
Up came Dustin Pedroia for one of the most incredible at bats in recent memory. Weaver alternated between balls and strikes for the first four pitches for a 2-2 count. After Pedroia fouled off a pair of fastballs, he took ball number three to bring the count full. Weaver would deliver five more pitches only to see them fouled off, building his count up over 100. Finally, on the thirteenth pitch of the at bat, Pedroia swung at a fastball away, and knocked it right back where it came from, past Weaver and into center field to score both runners and give the Sox a 3-2 lead.
It wasn't until Hisanori Takahashi came in to pitch the seventh, though, that things really fell apart for the Angels. Jason Varitek, of all people, started things up by singling up the middle with one out. Jacoby Ellsbury followed up with a double, and Dustin Pedroia walked to load the bases for Adrian Gonzalez. While he didn't quite go long, he did the next best thing, hitting a glancing blow off the Monster just left of the batter's eye, clearing the bases. Kevin Youkilis doubled him home with another wall ball, and then David Ortiz capped it all off by going just a little higher and clearing the wall for a two-run homer. When all was said and done, it was 9-2.
Things weren't perfect for the Boston bullpen, as Dan Wheeler struggled in the eighth and ninth innings, giving up three runs along the way, but Okajima finished things off and the Red Sox moved to 2-0 in May.